"Slingatron" To Hurl Payloads Into Orbit 438
cylonlover writes "People have been shooting things into space since the 1940s, but in every case this has involved using rockets. This works, but it's incredibly expensive with the cheapest launch costs hovering around $2,000 per pound. This is in part because almost every bit of the rocket is either destroyed or rendered unusable once it has put the payload into orbit. Reusable launch vehicles like the SpaceX Grasshopper offer one way to bring costs down, but another approach is to dump the rockets altogether and hurl payloads into orbit. That's what HyperV Technologies Corp. of Chantilly, Virginia is hoping to achieve with a 'mechanical hypervelocity mass accelerator' called the slingatron."
HyperV? (Score:5, Funny)
Are they virtualizing this?
My oh my (Score:5, Funny)
Be careful if you build one on the moon, though. Those people will get uppity and use it as high ground to gain independence from the democratically-elected governments of Earth.
Hmmm ... (Score:5, Funny)
So we're going with the Wile E Coyote school of engineering then?
Awesome!!
Might be sure your payload doesn't get any sudden G-forces it's not built for, but it sounds interesting.
Punkin Chunkin (Score:4, Funny)
Wonder how far it can throw a pumpkin?
http://www.punkinchunkin.com/ [punkinchunkin.com]
See? Pumpkin chuckin' is useful. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Cargo is expensive (Score:5, Funny)
Unlimited pudding rations for all ISS crew members!
Re:HyperV? (Score:5, Funny)
Nobody uses HyperV for virtualization.
Re:My oh my (Score:2, Funny)
No, TINSTAAFL. Speak properly, and sit up straight!
Re:Limited cargo use (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Cargo is expensive (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Wonder if it can be weaponized. (Score:5, Funny)